"All right, Old Man,” he answered. “I am willing to try.” So he waddled to the edge of the raft. He is a poor walker, the Loon, and you know I told you why. It was all because Old Man kicked him in the back the night he painted all the Duck-people.
Down went the Spotted Loon, and long he stayed beneath the water. All waited and watched, and longed for good luck, but when he came to the top he was dead. Everybody groaned--all felt badly, I can tell you, as Old Man laid the dead Loon on the logs. The Loon's wife was crying, but Old Man told her to stop and she did.
Then Old Man blew his own breath into the Loon's bill, and he came back to life.
"What did you see, Brother Loon?” asked Old Man, while everybody crowded as close as he could.
"Nothing but water,” answered the Loon. “We shall all die here, I cannot reach the world by swimming. My heart stops working.”
There were many brave ones on the raft, and the Otter tried to reach the world by diving; and the Beaver, and the Gray Goose, and the Gray Goose's wife, but all died in trying, and all were given a new life by Old Man. Things were bad and getting worse.
Everybody was cross, and all wondered what Old Man would do next, when somebody laughed.
All turned to see what there could be to laugh at, at such a time, and Old Man turned about just in time to see the Muskrat bid good-by to his wife --that was what they were laughing at. But he paid no attention to Old Man or the rest, and slipped from the raft to the water. Flip!--his tail cut the water like a knife, and he was gone. Some laughed again, but all wondered at his daring, and waited with little hope in their hearts; for the Muskrat wasn't very great, they thought.
He was gone longer than the Loon, longer than the Beaver, longer than the Otter or the Gray Goose or his wife, but when he came to the surface of the water he was dead.
Old Man brought Muskrat back to life, and asked him what he had seen on his journey. Muskrat said: “I saw trees, Old Man, but I died before I got to them.”
Old Man told him he was brave. He said his people should forever be great if he succeeded in bringing some dirt to the raft; so just as soon as the Muskrat was rested he dove again.
When he came up he was dead, but clenched in his tiny hand Old Man found some dirt -- not much, but a little. A second time Old Man gave the Muskrat his breath, and told him that he must go once more, and bring dirt.
He said there was not quite enough in the first lot, so after resting a while the Muskrat tried a third time and a third time he died, but brought up a little more dirt.
Everybody on the raft was anxious now, and they were all crowding about Old Man; but he told them to stand back, and they did. Then he blew his breath in Muskrat's mouth a third time, and a third time he lived and joined his wife.
Old Man then dried the dirt in his hands, rubbing it slowly and singing a strange song. Finally it was dry; then he settled the hand that held the dirt in the water slowly, until the water touched the dirt.
The dry dirt began to whirl about and then Old Man blew upon it. Hard he blew and waved his hands, and the dirt began to grow in size right before their eyes. Old Man kept blowing and waving his hands until the dirt became real land, and the trees began to grow. So large it grew that none could see across it. Then he stopped his blowing and sang some more. Everybody wanted to get off the raft, but Old Man said no.
"Come here, Wolf,” he said, and the Wolf came to him.
"You are swift of foot and brave. Run around this land I have made, so I may know how large it is.”
The Wolf started, and it took him half a year to get back to the raft. He was very weary from much running, too, but Old Man said the world wasn't big enough yet so he blew some more, and again sent the Wolf out to run around the land. He never came back. No, the Old Man had made it so big that the Wolf died of old age before he got back to the raft. Then all the people went out upon the land to make their living, and they were happy, there, too.
After they had been on the land for a long time Old Man said: “Now I shall make a man and a woman, for I am lonesome living with you people.”
He took two or three handfuls of mud from the world he had made, and moulded both a man and a woman. Then he set them side by side and breathed upon them. They lived!--and he made them very strong and healthy--very beautiful to look upon. And they are the Chippewa!
Next Week: Why Kingfisher Wears a War Bonnett
adaptation c. 2005 Mike Peterson
